The Bible has a lot to say on the subject of water wells. So do I, and right now, some of it isn’t very nice.
As I write, we’re trying to have a well dug on some property we bought. We’ve had kazillions of things to consider as we’ve embarked on this crazy, post-midlife-crisis farm adventure, but I honestly never worried about finding water.
If you dig down far enough, you’re bound to hit lots of water sooner or later, right?
Apparently not.
The first attempt to dig a well on our land yielded some water, but not enough. Seven hundred feet down the crew dug, and they didn’t find enough water. Seriously –700 feet. I thought if you dug that far, you’d hit molten lava.
It would have been okay if they’d missed the water but run into some oil instead, but that didn’t happen, either, so now they’ll have to start over in another spot.
This is all costing a pretty penny—this hit-or-miss digging—but it has to be done. We’re ready to start building a house and water is pretty high on my must-have list, so we’ll pay again and pray again.
Now that I’ve experienced up close the frustrations and importance of wells, some Bible verses and stories make more sense to me…
In Genesis, for example, there was much fussing and fighting over wells that Abraham dug, Isaac inherited, the Philistines sabotaged, and some shepherds commandeered.
In those days, after a well was successfully dug, it was named. One of the wells in Genesis was given a Hebrew name that means “oath.” That makes total sense to me, given what was popping into my mind when the well guy told us he could only find a little water after digging halfway to China.
Wells also served as a backdrop for some life-altering meetings in the Bible – Moses, Isaac and Jacob met their wives beside wells, for example, and you may remember the story about a somewhat scandalous woman who had a transforming chat with Jesus at a well in Samaria.
Also, God promised the Israelites that if they obeyed Him and took over the Promised Land as He directed, He’d give them, among other things, wells they wouldn’t have to dig. I tell you what—that’s an offer I’d jump on right now.
Another Bible story recounts King David’s craving for a drink of water from a particular well at Bethlehem. Unfortunately, at that particular time, Bethlehem was under the control of the big, bad Philistines.
No problem—three of David’s “mighty men” voluntarily set out to satisfy the king’s craving. (Where are these guys when I need some chocolate?) They broke through the Philistine lines and got some water to go, but get this—David wouldn’t drink it. He was so overwhelmed by his men’s devotion and courage that he poured the water out as an offering to God.
The reaction of the “mighty men” isn’t recorded. One can only imagine.
So, yes, there are some interesting stories about wells in the Bible. But it’s not really about the wells, after all—it’s about the water. A waterless well is worthless. I know whereof I speak.
Both literally and metaphorically, I’ve dug a few dry wells. I’ve looked for water where there was none to be found.
One thing I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way: If you want water, you gotta dig in the right place…on a farm and especially in life.
As Jesus said, “…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”John 4:14)